The present invention relates to transportation and storage of building materials, in particular, transportation of siding boards such as fiber cement boards. The siding boards customarily come from a building supplier strapped on pallets and wrapped in plastic. Once the contractor opens the package it is not reusable but has to be removed and thrown away. Thus if all the elements are not used at once they are left loose and are probably be covered by a plastic sheet or equivalent that may not stay in place for example in windy conditions.
The art of transporting materials includes various kinds of pallet wraps, however these systems are meant for cubic pallets. The present inventions addresses special needs of covering building materials such as longitudinal siding boards. Therefore the existing systems are not usable for protecting such materials during storage and transportation. Furthermore, the prior art does not provide solutions to specific features of transporting and storing siding boards, for example avoiding water collecting on covered pallets when they stand for days on the construction site.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,934,894 discloses a reusable pallet wrap for securing lading on pallets. The system consists of an adjustable flexible wrap made from one rectangular shaped cloth and the system has hook and loop fasteners sewn on the ends. The ends run from top to bottom of the wrap. Squares of hook and loop fastener are secured to the bottom of the wrap that line up with each corner of the pallet. Sewn into these squares are straps that are passed under the pallet to connect the wrap to the pallet. Once this is done, the load is secured to the pallet. Two straps with hook and loop fastener ends are also sewn directly to the wrap that gives an added stability to load as well as to secure the wrap. Finally, a top cover can be added if load requires protection from the elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,085 discloses a reusable bulk packaging comprising a plastics bag having an opening which is closable by means of a zip fastener attached to the body of the bag, typically by means of an adhesive or by welding. The plastics bag may be made out of bubble film, optionally laminated to aluminum foil.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,063 discloses a pallet cover for protecting the upper surfaces of a load resting upon a pallet. The pallet cover is made of multiple layers that are laminated together. There are no staples or like materials used. The pallet cover is a one piece unit comprised of a horizontal upper surface, a bend, and for generally vertical flanges. The flanges are connected to the upper surface at the bend. The flanges are independently flexible along the bend.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2008/0196304 discloses a lightweight, removable cover for harvested vegetative material, such as sod, stacked on a pallet. A cover includes a top panel with side and end panels extending downwardly from the top panel to form an envelope shaped to fit snugly over the stacked material. The stacked material is arranged in a shape of predetermined length, breadth and height, and the envelope is configured to have a corresponding shape. The envelope surrounds the stacked material without enclosing the pallet. The length and breadth of each panel of the envelope corresponds to a respective portion of the shape of the stacked material. In addition, each panel comprises a flexible material that is impervious to moisture. An outside surface of each panel is light and heat reflective to protect the covered material and an inside surface is non-reflective. One or more of the panels includes promotional and/or information indicia on an outside surface thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,428 discloses a palletized load cover. The cover includes at least one elastic strap which is held captive on the cover. Integral connectors are provided on each end of the strap and the connectors cooperate with a conventional pallet including at least two retractable belts which can be locked against further unwinding when unwound. Guides are provided on the cover to restrict lateral movement of the strap while permitting limited longitudinal movement of the strap. The connectors provided on each end of the elastic strap are operable to releasably lock with cooperating connectors provided on distal ends of the pallet belts. With the belt connectors locked to the strap connectors at each end of the strap, the belts are pulled so that the belt retracts and is locked against unwinding. The elasticity of the strap makes it possible, with conventional belt retractor mechanisms, to achieve an unprecedented level of strap tightness, thereby making a palletized load secured with a cover according to the invention significantly more secure than has been possible with prior art load covers. In addition, the strap connects belts from opposed sides of the pallet and maintains or restores equal tension in the two belts, continuously. In one embodiment, a single elastic strap, in the form of a closed loop, is provided on the cover and it is operable to equalize tension in four pallet belts secured to it.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,958,995 discloses a palletized shipping container for bulk handling of liquids and fluent materials and has a collapsible inner bag enclosed in a flexible outer liner/bag having rigid stiffener panels in pocketed sides. The inner bag has a bung at its top end for filling or discharge and a valve fitment near the bottom for receiving a discharge valve. Tape tabs at upper ends of the inner bag and outer liner/bag attach to the top panel and/or stiffener panels to maintain the bags in an erect uncollapsed configuration. The stiffener panels prevent bulging of the inner bag and provide vertical support, but their lateral sides are spaced apart and form non-structural “floating corners” to maximize volume, minimize shock, vibration and abrasive forces on the inner bag, yet maintain impact and compression strength meeting international certification standards. The bung is disposed beneath the top panel after filling the bag to prevent access and provide a tamper resistant assembly.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method to specifically protect building siding boards, such as cement board siding materials during storage and transportation.
Embodiments of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be described in more detail herein below.